French president in Lebanon to meet the country’s new leaders and discuss ceasefire with Israel Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, left, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, left, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
France’s president began a visit to Lebanon Friday, where he will meet the crisis-hit country’s newly elected leaders, as the nation attempts to recover from the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.
Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Lebanon, his first in more than four years, follows a 60-day ceasefire deal that aims to end the war. France helped broker the deal and a French officer is a member of the committee that is supervising the truce, which went into effect on Nov. 27.
▶ Read more about Macron’s visit.
Netanyahu says Israeli officials have reached a deal to return hostages after last minute snags Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool, File)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool, File)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached.
The announcement came a day after Netanyahu’s office said there were last minute snags in talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu said he will convene his security Cabinet on Friday and then the government to approve the ceasefire agreement.
WATCH: What to know about where the Gaza ceasefire deal stands Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a last-minute dispute with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages.
Trump says ceasefire better be finalized before his inauguration President-elect Donald Trump said the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas better be finalized before his inauguration on Monday and said his involvement was crucial for the negotiation.
“We changed the course of it, and we changed it fast, and frankly, it better be done before I take the oath of office,” he said in a podcast interview with Dan Bongino.
Trump also said “we shook hands, and we signed certain documents, but it better be done.”
He claimed Biden hadn’t done anything.
“I’m not looking for credit. I want to get these people out,” he said. “We’ve got to get them out.”
The truce is expected to begin Sunday, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas is holding up his government’s approval.
No plan for the day after A tent camp for displaced Palestinians is set up amid destroyed buildings in the Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A tent camp for displaced Palestinians is set up amid destroyed buildings in the Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The rubble clearance and eventual rebuilding of homes will require billions of dollars and the ability to bring construction materials and heavy equipment into the territory — neither of which are assured.
The ceasefire and hostage deal doesn’t say whether Israel and Egypt will lift a blockade on Gaza they imposed when Hamas seized power in 2007.
International donors are unlikely to invest in an ungoverned territory that has seen five wars in less than two decades, which means the sprawling tent camps along the coast could become a permanent feature of life in Gaza.
Mountains of rubble will need to be moved A Palestinian boy walks amongst rubble of destroyed buildings at a neighbourhood in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A Palestinian boy walks amongst rubble of destroyed buildings at a neighbourhood in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Before anything can be rebuilt, the rubble must be removed — a staggering task in itself.
The U.N. estimates that the war has littered Gaza with over 50 million tons of rubble — roughly 12 times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. With over 100 trucks working full time, it would take over 15 years to clear the rubble away.
The debris also contains huge amounts of unexploded ordnance as well as human remains. Gaza’s Health Ministry says thousands of people killed in airstrikes are still buried under the rubble.
Two-thirds of structures in Gaza have been destroyed The full extent of the damage will only be known when the fighting ends and inspectors have full access to the territory.
Using satellite data, the United Nations estimated last month that 69% of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including over 245,000 homes.
What awaits Palestinians on the other side of a ceasefire? Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are eager to leave miserable tent camps and return to their homes if a long-awaited ceasefire agreement halts the Israel-Hamas war, but many will find there is nothing left.
And it’s unclear when — or even if — much will be rebuilt.
▶ Read more about Gaza’s uncertain future.
Palestinian leaders in the West Bank get ready for a potential return to Gaza Palestinian leaders who administer the occupied West Bank are getting ready in case they’re tasked with running critical services and setting up an interim government in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa met with top officials to discuss plans for reintegrating government institutions in Gaza, including the territory’s health care, education, water and power sectors, as well as coordinating a surge of humanitarian aid.
Destroyed buildings are seen from an U.S. Air Force plane flying over the Gaza Strip, on March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
Destroyed buildings are seen from an U.S. Air Force plane flying over the Gaza Strip, on March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
There’s still no plan for who will govern Gaza after the war.
Israel has said it will work with local Palestinians not affiliated with Hamas or the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. But it’s unclear if such partners exist, and Hamas has threatened anyone who cooperates with Israeli forces.
A far-right ally of Netanyahu says he’ll quit if Israel approves Gaza ceasefire Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, center, addresses the media as he enters a courtroom in Tel Aviv before the start of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hearing Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Menahem Kahana/Pool Photo via AP)
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, center, addresses the media as he enters a courtroom in Tel Aviv before the start of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hearing Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Menahem Kahana/Pool Photo via AP)
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threated on Thursday night to leave the government if Israel approves the ceasefire, but said his party would rejoin the government if fighting in Gaza continued.
Even if Ben-Gvir’s party leaves the government, it does not rob Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a parliamentary majority.
It also would not stop a ceasefire deal if the plan comes to a Cabinet vote for approval, which could happen as early as Friday.
Ben-Gvir said the ceasefire was “reckless” and would “destroy all of Israel’s achievements.”
The European Union approves over $120 million in aid for Gaza The EU said Thursday it had approved 120 million euros, or some $123 million, worth of humanitarian aid to address food security, shelter and healthcare for Gaza.
The preliminary ceasefire deal calls for hundreds of aid trucks to enter the besieged territory each day.
EU says it’s ready to resume monitoring a key Gaza border crossing The European Union mission that once monitored the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah will send a delegation to Cairo early next week to help implement the ceasefire deal, according to the Egyptian government.
A spokesperson for the EU Commission, Anouar El Anouni, confirmed Thursday that the EU was “updating our plans to possibly redeploy” to Rafah.
Trucks of humanitarian aids wait to cross the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Trucks of humanitarian aids wait to cross the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
He emphasized the deployment “remains dependent on full consent” from both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
Since Israeli forces captured the city of Rafah last May, the border has been closed to all civilians. Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian officials have been unable to agree on the terms to reopen it.
Secretary of State Blinken expects the Gaza ceasefire deal will start as planned this weekend U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he “fully” expects the ceasefire deal in Gaza will be implemented as expected on Sunday, despite Israel pointing to a last-minute dispute with Hamas.
Blinken faced two significant interruptions at his final briefing to reporters in office, both from people accusing him of complicity in Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Diplomatic security physically removed one person who shouted, “Why aren’t you in the Hague?” a reference to the world’s top war-crimes court.
Blinken and other members of the Biden administration have faced criticism for the civilian casualties and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as for not imposing meaningful restrictions on sending arms to Israel.
Blinken called the ceasefire and hostage deal “a moment of historic possibility for the region.”
However, he said it would still “take tremendous effort, political courage, compromise … to deliver on the promise of a more integrated Middle East.”
Turkey’s Erdogan raises concerns over Israel’s ongoing airstrikes in Gaza Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed concern Thursday that Israeli airstrikes were still killing Palestinians in Gaza despite a ceasefire deal announced a day earlier.
“The Israeli government should not be allowed to violate and exploit the ceasefire,” Erdogan said at a news conference. “The international community should fulfill its legal and moral responsibility toward the people of Gaza.”
The ceasefire is expected to go into effect Sunday. Traditionally, both Israel and Hamas have intensified military actions before ceasefires take effect.
People in Gaza are shocked Israel still hasn’t agreed to the ceasefire Displaced Palestinians in central Gaza woke up Thursday shocked and disappointed to learn that Israel still hadn’t approved the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
“We went to sleep happy. It’s a shame that they would deprive us of this happiness,” said Karam Moeiliq. “Everyone has losses. It’s enough.”
Hours after getting their hopes up about returning home, families sheltering in Deir al-Balah are grappling with uncertainty about their future.
Palestinian children play among the tents at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Thursday Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian children play among the tents at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Thursday Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“We ask our brothers in Hamas to communicate with mediators to end the war. Enough with the destruction and killing,” said Omar Jendiya from Gaza City.
At least 72 Palestinians were killed across the war-torn territory since the deal was announced on Wednesday. It’s expected to begin Sunday.
“We want peace. We want to live like everyone in the world is living,” said Fayqa Hussein, a displaced woman from Jabaliya refugee camp.
“We want to live in safety. We want to teach our children what they missed at school,” she said.
Qatari prime minister makes first visit to Syria since Bashar Assad’s ouster Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister made a landmark visit to Syria on Thursday, pledging to support the country’s recovery and calling on the international community to “swiftly” remove sanctions.
The prime minister’s trip to Syria comes a day after he announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“We are on the verge of a new phase in Syria’s history, and Qatar extends its hand to the Syrian people for partnership,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said during a press conference.
The Qataris met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group leading the new authority in Syria.
Al Thani said Israeli forces must withdraw from a U.N.-monitored buffer zone in Syria they captured last month.
For his part, Sharaa said his country is ready to welcome international forces to the buffer zone, adding that Qatar will have “a central role” in creating global pressure on Israel to withdraw.
Qatar is a close ally of Turkey, which has long backed the rebels who now control Damascus, and the two countries are looking to protect their interests in Syria after Assad’s fall.
Israel says it launched 50 airstrikes in Gaza over the past day The Israeli military said Thursday it targeted places associated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including weapons storage facilities, sites to launch rockets, weapons manufacturing sites, and other military infrastructure, without providing evidence.
Palestinian health officials say the strikes killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire agreement was announced.
Smoke rises behind destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments as seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Smoke rises behind destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments as seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
US official says Hamas’ last-minute deal revision relates to how far Israeli troops withdraw Two men walk near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Two men walk near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
A U.S. official with knowledge of the ceasefire negotiations said Hamas made a last-minute revision that relates to the distance Israeli forces would withdraw from at least one largely populated area in Gaza that the official would not identify.
The issue is expected to be resolved quickly and enable the ceasefire to begin as planned this weekend, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Netanyahu faces heavy internal pressure By TIA GOLDENBERG, WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office earlier accused Hamas of backtracking on an understanding that he said would give Israel a veto over which prisoners convicted of murder would be released in exchange for hostages.
Netanyahu has faced great domestic pressure to bring home the scores of hostages, but his far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if he makes too many concessions. He has enough opposition support to approve an agreement even without those partners, but doing so would weaken his coalition.
Activists representing families of Israelis who were killed during the war in Gaza block a road during a protest against the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Jerusalem on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Activists representing families of Israelis who were killed during the war in Gaza block a road during a protest against the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Jerusalem on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
One of his far-right allies, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, has already come out against the deal. Another, Bezalel Smotrich, posted on X late Wednesday that he was demanding “absolute certainty” that Israel can resume the war later, calling the current deal “bad and dangerous” for Israel.
The departure of both of their factions would seriously destabilize the government and could lead to early elections.
At least 72 killed since ceasefire announced, Gaza officials say Israeli strikes have killed at least 72 people since a ceasefire deal was announced, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday.
In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires take effect as a way to project strength.
Destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments as seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments as seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The ministry says the toll from Thursday’s strikes only includes bodies brought to two hospitals in Gaza City, and that the actual toll is likely higher.
“Yesterday was a bloody day, and today is bloodier,” said Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry’s registration department.
Israeli group holds demonstration against ceasefire deal Activists carry mock coffins covered with Israeli flags in a demonstration against the ceasefire deal in Jerusalem on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
– AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
Activists carry mock coffins covered with Israeli flags in a demonstration against the ceasefire deal in Jerusalem on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
A group representing some families of soldiers killed fighting in Gaza held a demonstration Thursday against a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The Gvura Forum opposes the deal, saying it won’t lead to Hamas’ destruction and that it will free Palestinians convicted of deadly crimes against Israelis. The agreement could also leave some Israeli hostages behind in Gaza if it collapses, the group said.
The group set up rows of mock coffins draped in the Israeli flag in Jerusalem to symbolize the price Israel will pay if it agrees to the deal.
“It’s a very dangerous deal,” said Yehoshua Shani, whose son Ori Mordehai Shani was killed in battle in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. He believed the incoming Trump administration could exert more pressure on Hamas and secure better terms.
Many Israelis support a ceasefire deal that would bring the hostages home and end the war in Gaza. But some families of fallen soldiers and of hostages oppose any agreement that they perceive grants too many concessions to Hamas.
Russia voices hopes that ceasefire can secure lasting stability in Gaza Russia’s Foreign Ministry voiced hopes Thursday that the long-awaited agreement to pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip will help secure lasting stability in Gaza.
Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova praised “the patient and persistent work of Qatari and Egyptian mediators” who helped broker the agreement and noted that “at the final stage, representatives of the new American administration also joined the negotiating marathon.”
“We expect that the implementation of the agreement reached now will contribute to the sustainable stabilization of the situation in Gaza and create conditions for the return of all internally displaced persons … and allow Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released as a result of the deal to join their families,” Zakharova said at a briefing.
She specifically mentioned Russian citizen Alexander Trufanov, who was held in the Gaza Strip along other hostages.
“We believe that the conclusion of this agreement will contribute to the formation of the necessary conditions for establishing a process of a comprehensive political settlement of the Palestinian problem on a generally accepted international legal basis,” Zakharova added.
Families mourn 4 killed in Israeli strike in southern Gaza Mourners held a Muslim funeral service on Thursday for a Palestinian journalist who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza the previous day.
The strike hit a food charity known as Tikia in the Muwasi area in the city of Khan Younis Wednesday evening as people were waiting for the announcement of the ceasefire deal, according to the Naser hospital and the journalists’ relatives.
Smoke rises behind destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments as seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Smoke rises behind destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments as seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
The journalist, Ahmed al-Shaiyah, was killed in the strike along with three other people, according to the hospital, which received the bodies.
“Instead of receiving news of the truce, we received news of his martyrdom,” the journalist’s brother, Ismail al-Shaiyah, told the AP.
“We were waiting to rest and get rid of this nightmare, but my son was martyred in the last hour. He was gone from me,” said Nagat Moammar, mother of one of those killed.
Iran calls for Israeli leaders to be punished for committing ‘the most serious war crimes’ Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday called for “the arrest, trial, and punishment” of Israeli leaders for committing “the most serious war crimes,” Iranian media reported.
The state-run IRNA news agency said the United States, England, Germany and other Western countries also must be held accountable for their military, financial and political support of Israel in the war.
UK’s Starmer says ceasefire will be a ‘huge relief’ and calls for a two-state solution British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Israel-Hamas ceasefire “is very welcome,” noting that it will be a “huge relief to hostages and their families” along with “the very many Palestinians who have suffered hugely.”
Starmer, speaking with British broadcasters in Kyiv on Thursday, added that the path to lasting peace in Gaza “has to be a two-state solution, a viable Palestinian state and a safe and secure Israel.”
China welcomes ceasefire deal in Gaza and hopes it is ‘comprehensive and permanent’ Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday that Beijing welcomes the ceasefire deal and hopes it can be “effectively implemented so a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza can be achieved.”
China will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza and make “positive efforts” for post-war reconstruction, he added.
“We also sincerely hope that the relevant parties will take the Gaza ceasefire as an opportunity to promote the easing of local tensions. China is willing to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East,” Guo said.
Iran-backed militia will suspend operations against Israel, its leader says The leader of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Harakat al-Nujaba announced Thursday the suspension of the group’s operations against Israel after the declaration of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, Akram al-Kaabi congratulated the Palestinian people and “freedom-loving” individuals worldwide on “this important development.”
“We will suspend our military operations against (Israel) in solidarity with the halt of operations in Palestine and to support the continuation of the ceasefire in Gaza, but let the occupying entity know that any foolishness from them in Palestine or the region will be met with a harsh response,” he added.
Al-Kaabi said the group’s missiles and drones “remain on permanent standby.”
Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 48 over the past day Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 48 people over the past day, even as mediators said they had brokered a long-awaited agreement to pause the fighting with Hamas and secure the release of dozens of hostages.
In previous conflicts in the Middle East, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires go into effect as a way to project strength. Qatar, a key mediator, has said the latest ceasefire will go into effect Sunday.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the 48 bodies of people killed since midday Wednesday were brought to several hospitals. Around half of the dead were women and children, Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry’s registration department, told The Associated Press.
He said the toll could increase as hospitals continue to update their records.
Netanyahu says Cabinet won’t meet over ceasefire until Hamas backs down from ‘last minute crisis’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas backs down from what it called a “last minute crisis.”
Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt “to extort last minute concessions.” It did not elaborate.
The Israeli Cabinet was set to ratify the deal Thursday.
Israeli soldiers stand in an observation point overlooking the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Israeli soldiers stand in an observation point overlooking the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Indonesia calls for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state as it welcomes the ceasefire Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday welcomed the ceasefire and called for its immediate implementation, along with the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.
“Peace in Palestine cannot be achieved without the end of Israel’s occupation and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, in accordance with the two-state solution based on agreed international parameters,” it said in a statement.
Muslim-majority Indonesia has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard calls ceasefire a ‘great victory’ for Hamas Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Thursday applauded the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and called it a “great victory” for Hamas and the resistance front.
“This great victory, like the ‘al-Aqsa storm,’ which was a multifaceted and irreparable defeat for the Zionists, did not bring any gains for the Zionist regime, and the resistance remained alive, thriving and strong,” the Guard said in a statement, referring to the Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack that sparked the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later said in a post on the social platform X that the patience of the resistance front forced Israel to retreat.
“It will be written in books that there was a mob who once killed thousands of children & women in Gaza! Everyone will realize it was the patience of the people & steadfastness of Palestinian Resistance & Resistance Front that forced Zionist regime to retreat,” he wrote on Thursday.
Pakistan hails ceasefire and criticizes Israel for ‘unprecedented loss of lives’ Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday that Islamabad welcomes the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas and calls for its immediate and full implementation.
“Indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupation forces has caused unprecedented loss of lives and property and displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian Palestinians. Israel’s expansionist designs have destabilized the entire region,” it said in a statement.
The ministry added that Pakistan hopes the truce will lead to a permanent ceasefire and help scale up humanitarian assistance.
Japan and South Korea welcome Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza By MARI YAMIGUCHI, KIM TONG-HYUNG
Japan and South Korea on Thursday welcomed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza as a key step toward improving humanitarian conditions and calming the situation in the territory.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, speaking to reporters in Tokyo, urged Israel and Hamas to implement the agreement “sincerely and steadily” and he praised the United States, Egypt and Qatar for their work to achieve the deal.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry called for a “thorough and swift implementation” of the agreement so that “all hostages are released and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip improves.”
Netanyahu claims Hamas backtracked on an earlier understanding about prisoner release in the ceasefire deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Thursday that Hamas has backtracked on an earlier understanding of the ceasefire agreement. His statement could indicate that obstacles remain to implementing the deal.
Under the three-phased deal, Hamas would release dozens of hostages in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. It would also allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.
Netanyahu said that Hamas was objecting to a part of the agreement that gave Israel the ability to veto the release of certain Palestinian prisoners. Hamas was trying to dictate which Palestinian prisoners would be released, Netanyahu said.
He said he told Israeli negotiators to stand firm on the earlier agreement. Hamas did not immediately respond to Netanyahu’s statement.
The statement came soon after President Joe Biden wrapped up a final farewell address to the nation after earlier touting the role of American diplomacy in negotiating the ceasefire.
A look at the Gaza ceasefire deal that mediators say has been reached Any deal still needs to be approved by Israel’s Cabinet, although they’ll likely say yes. If the deal is adopted, it will unfold in three phases:
Phase one starts Sunday, according to mediator Qatar. Here’s what’s involved:
A six-week halt to fighting would begin, opening negotiations on ending the war. Thirty-three of the nearly 100 hostages would be released over that period, although it’s unclear if more than half are alive.The United States says this phase also includes a withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas of Gaza. That would allow many displaced Palestinians to return to what’s left of their homes. Many neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble.Humanitarian assistance would surge, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza each day. Final details that are still being worked out include the list of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be freed.Phase two is harder. Here are the details:
Negotiations for this phase are to begin on Day 16 of the ceasefire. This phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers. Israeli forces would withdraw from the Gaza Strip. However, Israel has said it will not agree to a complete withdrawal until Hamas’ military and political capabilities are eliminated. Hamas says it will not hand over the last hostages until Israel removes all its troops.Phase three calls for the return of the remaining bodies of hostages still in Gaza and the start of a major reconstruction in Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding. It’s also unclear who will foot the bill.
Gaza’s second-largest militant group hails the ceasefire deal as ‘honorable’ Hamas had needed Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s support for the deal in order to avoid a potential disruption in the process.
“Today, our people and their resistance imposed an honorable agreement to stop the aggression,” Palestinian Islamic Jihad said in a statement.
The group said the deal between Israel and Hamas includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as well as an “honorable” prisoner exchange.
It said that militant groups in Gaza “will remain vigilant to ensure the full implementation of this agreement.”
Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s fighters took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and have since been battling Israeli forces in Gaza.
Talks on implementing ceasefire will happen Thursday between US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, an official says Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. negotiators will head to Cairo on Thursday for further talks about implementing all aspects of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, according to a senior U.S. official.
The negotiators are focused on making sure expectations are clear to both Israel and Hamas and implementation of the agreement is carried out as smoothly as possible, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
2 American hostages could be in first group freed from Gaza, US official says A senior Biden administration official says two Americans, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel, are expected to be released in the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire is set to begin Sunday and last for six weeks.
The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing efforts to get the hostages home.
There’s a least one other known living American captive in Gaza, an Israeli soldier named Edan Alexander, who will be released at a later date in the second phase of the agreement, the official said.
It’s not clear how many of the hostages are still alive.
Israel’s Netanyahu says the ceasefire is still not complete, hours after US announces a deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire agreement with Hamas is not complete and that final details are still being worked out.
Netanyahu has not explicitly said whether he accepts the deal, which was announced hours earlier by Qatar’s prime minister and U.S. President Joe Biden.
In a statement late Wednesday, Netanyahu said he would only issue a formal response “after the final details of the agreement, which are currently being worked on, are completed.”
The army says the air raid sirens in southern Israel were a false alarm Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has spoken to President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden In a statement, Netanyahu said he had thanked both men for their help in “advancing” a deal to release Israeli hostages, but did not explicitly say whether he has accepted the agreement announced earlier Wednesday.
Netanyahu thanked Trump for what he said are promises that “Gaza will never be a haven for terror,” and said the two men agreed to meet soon in Washington about that and “other important issues.”
World leaders react to the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal World leaders are calling the long-awaited ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas an opportunity for peace and stability in the Mideast.
Here’s a few reactions:
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated the hostages who are set to return home and mourned the people killed in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and in captivity. He promised to surge humanitarian aid to war-weary civilians in Gaza. “Our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people — grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state,” he said in a statement.Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, said all the remaining hostages and the bodies of those who died must be returned. “This ceasefire opens the door to a permanent end to the war and to the improvement of the poor humanitarian situation in Gaza,” he said.French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that, “The agreement must be respected. The hostages, freed. The Gazans, rescued. A political solution must be found.”Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the deal, saying he hoped it would benefit “our region and all of humanity, and will open the door to lasting peace and stability.” He also paid respect to the Palestinians in Gaza who “courageously defended their land.”United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the U.N. is ready to support implementation of the ceasefire deal and scale up delivery of humanitarian aid. “Our priority must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict,” he said. JUST IN: The Israeli army is reporting air raid sirens in southern Israel, warning of possible incoming rocket fire Hamas hails ceasefire deal as result of Palestinians’ ‘legendary resistance’ The militant group Hamas is hailing its ceasefire with Israel as the result of “the legendary resilience of our great Palestinian people and our valiant resistance in the Gaza Strip.”
“The agreement is a milestone in the conflict with the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return,” the statement said.
Khalil al-Hayyah, the acting head of Hamas’ political bureau and chief negotiator, said the ceasefire deal represents a “new phase” which will focus on rebuilding Gaza.
“We are able — with God’s help first — and then with the help of our brothers, siblings, loved ones and supporters, to rebuild Gaza again, alleviate the pain, heal the wounds,” he said in a speech shared online by Hamas.
He also congratulated the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who will be released in the first phase of the deal: “Our heroic prisoners have an appointment with the dawn of freedom.”
Bloodshed in Gaza had a profound effect on young people, US voter engagement group says Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen Z voter engagement group in the U.S., said Wednesday’s ceasefire deal is overdue and the war in Gaza had a profound effect on their generation.
“Gen Z, who has led the push for a ceasefire, will never forget the images of lifeless bodies and miles of rubble we’ve seen for over a year,” the organization said in a statement.
The group held Netanyahu responsible for his role in the bombing and famine that have killed thousands in Gaza, as well as Hamas for the “senseless violence on October 7th.”
Palestinians march in the West Bank after ceasefire news is announced Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians chanted “Hamas!” in the hours after the Gaza ceasefire was announced Wednesday evening.
Associated Press video shows the men and women in the city of Ramallah, some holding flags. They also called out the name of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who masterminded the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war and was killed last year in Gaza.
The marchers also have chanted, “God is great.” They are stopping traffic in places, and security is nearby.
The West Bank, administered in part by the Palestinian Authority, has seen an increase in deadly unrest since the war in Gaza began.
UN human rights chief demands accountability for both Israel and Hamas The U.N. human rights chief says people responsible for killings of civilians and other rights violations committed in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and subsequent killings across Gaza over more than 15 months must be held to account.
Volker Türk also said human rights must be at the forefront of any reconstruction of Gaza after Wednesday’s announcement of a cease-fire between Israel and the militant group Hamas in the strip.
“The right of victims to full reparations must be upheld,” said Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a statement. “There is no true way forward without honest truth-telling and accountability on all sides.”
The UN is working to rush aid into Gaza once the ceasefire begins The top U.N. humanitarian official for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, has been discussing with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials how to increase desperately needed aid after a ceasefire takes effect.
The U.N. humanitarian office reported Tuesday that “Israeli authorities continue to deny U.N.-led efforts to reach people with vital assistance,” said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Tuesday.
He said U.N. efforts are “seriously constrained” by fighting, armed looting of aid convoys, Israeli access restrictions, road damage, unexplored ordnance, fuel shortages and a lack of telecommunications equipment.
Palestinians express mixed reactions of relief and loss Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A Palestinian man in central Gaza, Haitham Doghmosh, summed up the mixed reactions of relief and loss after the ceasefire was announced.
“Thank God that the agreement has been reached and that we will return to our homes, to our families, and to our loved ones,” he said, however, “It is true that our homes are gone, and our loved ones, our brothers, and our families are gone.”
In the city of Deir al-Balah, there were pounding drums, clapping and celebratory gunfire. Excited men hung out the windows of honking cars.
WATCH: Biden rebuts reporter question on who gets credit for Gaza ceasefire hostage deal Biden says his administration and Trump’s team were “speaking as one” on the Gaza deal. “This deal was developed and negotiated under my administration,” he said, “but its terms will be implemented for the most part by the next administration.”
